Controlled kite



Dec. 14, 1954 K. C. HOWARD CONTROLLED KITE Filed July 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet K ENNEI' H C. HOWARD INVENTOR. /zfl ATTORNEY Dec. 14, 1954 K. c. HOWARD 2,696,960

CONTROLLED KITE Filed July 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 KENNETH C. HOWARD INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY i d States Patent CONTROLLED KITE Kenneth C. Howard, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application July 17, 1953, Serial No. 368,671

4 Claims. (Cl. 244-153) This invention relates to kites and has reference to vane controlled kites which are controllable from the greater interest when flying. a kite for amusement, but

may also have other applications such as positioning scientific instruments carried aloft by kites, and for similar purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide a ground controlled kite of the vane type whose control is continuous and employs the principle of the helix cam.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ground controlled vane type kite having a plurality of adjustable vanes, the control of which is achieved with a single central control.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

Figure is a perspective view of one form of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective sectional view of the kite control element illustrated in Figure 1 and the inner construction of which is disclosed in detail in U. S. Patent Number 2,613,894, issued October 14, 1952.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the control element taken on line 33 of Figure 2 and illustrated without the actuating bar.

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternate control element.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the control element illustrated in Figure 4.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 1 through 3 includes a cylindrical control unit housing having laterally projecting ears 11 intermediate its ends, together with holes 12 in the outer ends of the ears for attaching the bridle strings 13 of a kite 14. The kite 14 shown is hexagonal and is provided with spaced horizontal and vertical frame members 15 and 16 which project beyond the perimeter of the kite. Vertical and horizontal vanes 17 and 18 are mounted on vertical and horizontal shafts 19 and 20 which are respectively journaled in the ends of the parallel vertical and horizontal frame members 15 and 16. A tail bridle 21 is attached to the lower horizontal frame members 15 near the outer ends of the latter and supports a tail, not shown.

The forward and rearward ends of the housing 10 are inwardly flanged, as at 22 and 23, for retaining rotatable forward and rearward disks 24 and 25. Internal shoulders 26 and 27 within the housing 10 rotatably support the disks 24 and 25 on the inner sides of the flanges 22 and 23. Ratchet teeth'28 and 29 are formed in the inner peripheries of the shoulders 26 and 27 for engaging the outer ends of U-shaped springs and 31 mounted on the opposing surfaces of the rotatable disks 24 and 25. The springs 30 and 31 are mounted on the respective disks by means of projecting pins 32 and 33, but other suitable means may be used for this purpose. The teeth 28 and 29 and their coacting springs 30 and 31 are arranged so that both disks 24 and 25 will rotate in the same direction. Slotted openings 34 and 35 are formed through the disks 24 and 25 and slidably receive a flat bar 36 therethrough. The bar 36 is twisted intermediate its ends, as at 37 and has a laterally projecting bar 38 secured to the rearward end thereof. A compression "ice ' 2 spring 39 is mounted around the bar 36in the forward end of the housing 10 and is held in. that position by means of a lateral pin 40 positioned through said. bar. A hole 41 is provided in the forward end of the bar 36 for'attaching the kite string 42.

Push-pull rods 43 and 44' are pivotally connected with the leading edges of the vertical and horizontal vanes 17 and 18, and all of said rods are centrally connected with a control plate 45 forwardly of and substantially near the plane of the kite 14. It will benoted that the connections at the ends of the push-pull rods 43 and 44 are relatively loose, the same being in the form of bends for engaging holes 46 and 47 in. the vanes" 17 and 18 and holes 48 in the control plate 45, and whereby the latter is permitted limited forward: and rearward movement. A pin 49 projects from: the forward face of the control plate 45 and is pivotally received ina sleeve 50- on the outer end of the control arm 33.

The: form: of: the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 includes a cylindrical control unit housing 51 having a circular flange 52 therearound with holes 53 in its periphery for receiving the forward ends of bridle strings, such as the bridle" string 13 heretofore described. A cylindrical cam body 54 is received in the rear open end of the housing 51. A cap 55 is threadedly secured on the forward end of the body 51 and slidably receives a forwardly projecting pin 56, the inner end of which is provided with a head 57 inside of the cam body 54, whereas the outer end is provided with a hole 58 for attachment with a kite string, such as the kite string 42, heretofore described. A helical compression spring 59 is mounted around the last described pin 56 and bears against the inner surface of the cap 55 and against the forward end of the cylindrical cam body 54.

The extending rearward end of the cam body 54 is pro vided with a rigid lateral arm 60 having a sleeve 61 thereon for rotatably receiving a forwardly projecting crank pin, such as the one 49 heretofore described, and which pin and control plate 45 are connected with pushpull rods 43 and 44, as described in the foregoing.

The surface of the cylindrical cam body 54 is provided with an arrangement of opposing helical faces 62 and 63 each arranged in series around said surface and respectively divided by straight faces 64 and 65 parallel with the axis of the body 54 and alternately arranged with respect to each other and in overlapping relation. Shouldered screws 66 extend through the housing and the inner ends of which provide cam followers for coaction with the cam faces 62, 63, 64 and 65.

In operation, the control arm 38 or 60 is initially positioned upright and the kite is then flown in the usual manner. In the last referred to position the horizontal vanes 18 provide inclined surfaces for increasing the lift of the kite 14, and the vertical vanes 17 have little or no effect on the flying attitude. By slackening the strings temporarily, and then letting the string become taut, the arm 38 or 60 is caused to assume a different angle of rotation, causing the push-pull 43 and 44 to change the relative positions of the vertical and horizontal vanes 17 and 18. By repeating the last referred to slackening and tightening operation, the vanes 17 and 18 may be caused to assume any desired angle relative to the length of the kite string 42.

In connection with the first described control unit, the reciprocal movement of the bar 36, and the ratchet action applied to the disks 24 and 25, causes the arm 38 to progressively rotate about the axial center of the housing 10. In connection with the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5, the reciprocal action of the cylindrical cam body 54 causes the followers to alternately bear against the helical cam faces 62 and 63 and to likewise cause progressive rotation of the arm 60 about the axial center of the body 51.

The described forms of the invention are not limited to the construction herein shown and described but may be made in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A kite comprising a kite body, vanes rotatably supported by said-body outwardly of the center thereof, a

control unit supported by said body and having a crank arm positioned to rotate in an orbit inwardly of said vanes, a reciprocating member forming a part of said control unit, means operably connecting said reciprocating member with said arm for rotating the latter, means connecting said crank arm with said vanes rotating the latter, and a kite string attached to said reciprocating member.

2. A kite comprising a kite body, vanes rotatably sup ported by said body outwardly of the center thereof, a control unit supported by said body, said unit comprising a cylindrical housing, rotatable disks in each end of said housing, ratchet means within said housing permitting rotation of said disks both in the same direction, slots through said disks, a helically formed bar extending through said slots, a spring connecting said bar with said housing for normally urging said bar in one direction, an

arm on the end of said bar adjacent the body of said kite, means connecting the outer end of said arm with said vanes rotating the latter, and a kite string attached to the remaining end of said bar.

3. A kite comprising a kite body, vanes rotatably supported by said body outwardly of the center thereof, a control unit supported by said body, said unit comprising a tubular housing, a reciprocal cylinder cam body slidably received in said housing, an extending lateral arm integrally connected with said cam body, means connecting said arm with said vanes, a spring within said CPI housing normally moving said cam body toward said kite body, means connecting said cam body on the end thereof opposite said arm with a kite string, cam faces in the surface of said body, and at least one follower supported by said housing and arranged to contact said cam surfaces, said cam surfaces being in the form of opposingly arranged helical surfaces positioned in interfitting space relation with respect to each other.

4. A kite control comprising a cylindrical housing adapted to be secured to the forward end of a kite bridle, a cylindrical cam body slidably mounted within said housing, helical cam faces in the surface of said cam body, at least one follower in said housing having its inner end positioned for coacting with said cam faces, a lateral arm integrally secured to said cam body and positioned outwardly of one end of said housing, a spring within said housing arranged to urge said cam body in one direction, and means connecting the spring of the kite to be flown with an integral part of said cam body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 692,998 Fletcher Feb. 11, 1902 1,425,419 Reid Aug. 8, 1922 2,524,500 Whitehurst Oct. 3, 1950 2,613,894 Howard Oct. 14, 1952 

